Miles for Smiles!Step-by-step guide: How elementary-school students

can help Operation Smile change children’s lives

presented by

IMPORTANT DETAILSWhat is the Operation Smile FInal Mile? Operation Smile Student Programs works with students in the Hampton Roads region and challenges these young people to run the 25.2 miles of a 26.2-mile marathon in the weeks before race Day, March 17, when they’ll all run the last remaining mile together.

Leading up to the big day, our associates teach the students the foundations of physical fitness and about the free surgeries Operation Smile provides for children born with cleft lip and cleft palate. Once they learn about Operation Smile, students are encouraged to be Smile Change Makers who fundraise in support of Operation Smile’s mission to care for even more children around the world.

This toolkit is a step-by-step guide to getting children involved in this great effort that not only benefits their health but the health of children worldwide!

Learn more at studentprograms.operationsmile.org.

Who can run in the Final Mile? Youth 12 years of age and younger.

Where do I register for the race? Please register at shamrockmarathon.com/finalmile

IMPORTANT DATESWhen is the Shamrock Operation Smile Final Mile? 11 a.m. Saturday, March 17

What about my race packet?Packet pickup is from 12 to 9 p.m. Friday, March 16, at the Virginia Beach Convention Center in Virginia Beach

CONTACT Representatives with Operation Smile Student Programs are happy to help in any way. To coordinate, call 757-321-7645 or reach out to:Pete Hansen: pete.hansen@operationsmile.orgAmanda Bryer: amanda.bryer@operationsmile.org

SOCIAL MEDIAFollow Operation Smile Student Programs!

Instagram/Twitter: @osstudproSnapchat: OpSmileStudProFacebook: Operation Smile Student Programs Follow#osFinalMile and #osChangeMakers

getting started | page one

Introduce the Final Mile

What is Operation Smile? Operation Smile is an international children’s medical charity that helps children born with cleft lips and cleft palates smile. By signing up for the Shamrock Operation Smile Final Mile, not only are you are taking the first step to creating a healthy habit for yourself, but you’re helping someone else as well.

What is a cleft? A cleft is a split where something did not form during development in the early stages of pregnancy. This split can happen on one or both sides of your lip or in your palate, which is in your mouth. It’s estimated that someone is born with a cleft lip or cleft palate every three minutes; this factors out to about one in 500 to 700 births.

What do you need to know? Boys and girls born with a cleft lip or cleft palate are boys and girls just like you! They love to laugh, learn, play and grow. You can’t catch a cleft lip or cleft palate; it’s something you are born with. It happens right here in the United States; children in the U.S. who are born with a cleft condition receive surgery when they’re babies to help heal their smiles.

Resources to check out: The Just Like You facial anomalies film is a great resource for your students. The short film – which is just more than 3 minutes long – is a good educational tool for students of all ages. The longer film, which is just about 25 minutes, would be an excellent resource for fourth- and fifth-grade students.

Just Like You, short: http://bit.ly/jlyshortJust Like You, long: http://bit.ly/jlylong

LEFT: Meet Paige Rooney! She’s an awesome student from Strawbridge Elementary School. Paige is a true leader; born with a cleft condition, she works hard to make sure children who need medical care get it. She devotes a lot of time and energy to helping Operation Smile, including during the Final Mile! Read more: http://bit.ly/2nvs8iS

week one | Shamrock Operation Smile Final Mile | page two

week two | Smile Change Makers

What does it mean to be an Operation Smile Change Maker? A Smile Change Maker is someone making a difference in his or her community, school and home. A Smile Change Maker is a friend when someone is in need, a good listener when someone is speaking, a friend when someone is left out, and someone who makes others smile when they need it.

What does a Smile Change Maker do? Go the extra mile and collect small change and bills to help share smiles around the globe. Make your own change bank with a Pringles can, a Mason jar or even a Gatorade bottle! Have fun with it and get creative, then fill it up and bring it to the Shamrock Expo!

What could teachers do to help? Feel free to highlight Smile Change Makers in your school. Operation Smile can provide some buttons, stickers and bracelets to help celebrate your Smile Change Makers. These can be students who sign up for the race, are caught being a good friend, or even bring in a donation for the Smile Change Makers campaign. Operation Smile does have a limited number of swag, but we will help with whatever we can and try to be as creative as we can to help you with your Smile Change Makers!

Resources to check out:Smile Change Makers pledge: SEE PAGE FOURSmile Change Makers one pager: SEE PAGE FIVELogos to use on your banks: SEE PAGE SIX

week two | Smile Change Makers | page three

Introduce the Smile Change Makers campaign

ABOVE: Follow #osChangeMakers to see what our students have accomplished through this campaign!

week two | Smile Change Makers | page four

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week two | Smile Change Makers | page four

week two | Smile Change Makers | page five week two | Smile Change Makers | page six

Smile Change Makers just like you around the Hampton Roads will be collecting small change and bills now through race day, March 17. Being a Smile Change Maker is as easy as 1, 2, 3:

1. Bank on your creativity.

Have fun and get creative! Check under the couch, do extra chores, help a neighbor with a small job. Invite your friends and family to help you collect coins and small bills. You could even have a competition among your friends and family – who can fill their bank the fastest, and who can have the most fun along the way?

It takes $240 for one cleft lip or cleft palate surgery. How cool would it be to say YOU have provided surgery for a CHILD somewhere in the world!

2. Take it to the bank. Now’s the time to see how your hard work has paid off!

Count up all your change and see how much you are contributing toward a smile. Have a parent help you roll your change and take it to the bank.

You can send your donation directly to Operation Smile:

Operation Smile Student Programs Attn: Smile Change Makers 3641 Faculty Blvd. Virginia Beach, VA 23453 OR You can bring your donation to the Fitness Expo at the Virginia Beach Convention Center on March 16.

3. And we’ll pay it forward! Remember, we want to hear all about your Smile-Change-Making efforts so we can share your story with the world! Please tag @osstudpro on Instagram, message us on Snapchat at OpSmileStudPro and use #OSChangeMakers everywhere so we can be sure to like, share and retweet your great work!

week two | Smile Change Makers | page six

week three| physical fitness | page seven week three | physical fitness | page eight

Reinforce healthy habits of physical fitness

How can Smile Change Makers get active? Keep running, walking and skipping to rack up your miles! At this point, we are three weeks out from race day, and Operation Smile couldn’t be more proud of the commitment you’ve made to your health and to help others. Stay focused the next few weeks, but, most importantly, have fun! On race day all of your hard work will pay off. So keep racking up those miles, be a Smile Change Maker in your school and collect change to help spread smiles around the world.

Resources to check out:Final Mile Poster, PAGE EIGHT

RIGHT: Our friend Paige Rooney prepares to cross the Final Mile finish line in March 2017.

week three | physical fitness | page eight

FridayMarch 16

12 PM - 9 PM Packet Pick-upVirginia Beach

Convention Center

Saturday March 17

11 AMFinal Mile Start

VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA

FINAL MILE

MARCH 17, 2018

2018

Run 25.2 miles at home or at school, and then run the final mile of

the marathon on race day!

shamrockmarathon.com/finalmile • www.jandaracing.com

Schedule of

Events

shamrock final m

ileSHAMROCK

• Only For Children

12 & Under!

• Cool Medal For

All Finishers!

• Special Race T-Shirt!

• Awesome Surprise Gift!

week four | perspective | page nine week five | Operation Smile | page ten

Put yourselves in a patient’s shoes. Imagine if you were born in a land far away and looked a little different. What kinds of challenges would you experience to see a doctor or go to school? Watch the videos under “Resources” on this page to meet Talita and follow her journey.

And remember you’re doing all of this for them. Every mile you run, every coin and bill

you collect – it all helps to make a difference in the life of another boy or girl like Talita.

Resources to check out:Changing faces with a smile part 1: http://bit.ly/cfwasp1

Changing faces with a smile part 2: http://bit.ly/cfwasp2

Meet a patient who has been helped by Operation Smile

LEFT: Meet Ashenafi of Ethiopia! His name means “The Winner,” and he is a rambunctious boy with a lot of love and energy. Born with a cleft lip and cleft palate, he received care from Operation Smile in Jimma. Student Programs trains university students to cover medical missions and share patients’ stories: http://bit.ly/osuvoice

week five | Operation Smile | page ten

How does Operation Smile do what it does? Did you know that a surgery with Operation Smile only takes about 45 minutes for a cleft lip and an hour and a half for a cleft palate? That the cost of a life-changing surgery is only $240?

Do you think you can help change the life of one child with the money you are collecting in your Smile Change Maker bank? Imagine if everyone in your class brought in their change next week to help the change the life of someone else. Imagine how many smiles your school can change if we all work together! Set a goal, just like you set a goal to run the Final Mile, and let’s all work together to make more smiles. Keep running your miles and collecting change to heal smiles around the globe!

Resources to check out:The Operation Smile Brand Room is an excellent site to check out when you’re learning more about Operation Smile. It even includes a handy timeline of the organization’s 35-year history! The site can be found at brand.operationsmile.org.

BELOW: Meet Rikta of India! She received treatment for her cleft condition when she was young, and when she heard that Operation Smile was coming to a nearby town, she traveled there just to thank them. Inspired, she’s currently working hard in school to be a medical professional. Read her powerful, student-written story: http://bit.ly/durgapur0817

Learn how to be a strong ambassador for Operation Smile

week six | the big day! | page eleven

Congratulations! We set two important goals: Run 25.2 miles before race day to improve our physical fitness; be a Smile Change Maker in your school and collect change and help heal smiles around the world. Now let’s celebrate!

Remember all your hard work on race day and have fun! You earned your medal, and everyone – your family, teachers and community – is so proud of all of your hard work!

Resources to check out:Representatives with Operation Smile Student Programs is happy to help in any way possible and come be a part of your pep rally before race day. Operation Smile is also happy to come and pick up any money collect for the Smile Change Makers campaign from the school.

To coordinate, call 757-321-7645 or reach out to

Pete Hansen, Student Programs Associate for the Southern Region of the United States

pete.hansen@operationsmile.org

Amanda Bryer,Student Programs development officer

amanda.bryer@operationsmile.org

Celebrate your special accomplishments!

NOTES

“Love is making someone else’s

problem your problem.”- Dr. Bill Magee,

CEO and co-founder of Operation Smile